Hannah Maringo

Major: Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering

Graduation Year: 2018

I began working in the E3 Program at CDME as a Business Development Intern; however, I also got to work as an Engineering Intern/Research Assistant during my time there. I assisted on many projects, including finding grants and writing proposals to hands-on engineering and design. I am most proud of my work on the Manufacturing Extension Partnership proposal. I enjoyed this project because it involved a lot of research and communication to pull all of the necessary components together. The work gave me a glimpse of the marketing side of business, as well as exposure to the manufacturing work that CDME provides. In the E3 Program, I was also able to attend I-Corps@Ohio, which opened my eyes to the start-up world. I witnessed ideas turn into actual projects and learned skills that could potentially help me with my own start-up ideas in the future.

Throughout my E3 experience at CDME, I learned how the business/manufacturing world really works. The most important thing I took away from my experience was to always take on projects that were outside my comfort zone, because that is when I learned the most. I worked on many projects that I did not feel prepared for at first, but as I kept working, with the support of my supervisors, I was able to learn many different skills. Whether it be designing on Solidworks or wiring a circuit board, I was always learning something new.

The E3 Program works with CDME clients and provides access to its intelligent staff from all different backgrounds as well as the University's wide range of resources. What most impressed me about the program was that the CDME staff is always using their knowledge to help each other and complete projects as a team. It was also awesome to be a part of something that is continually growing and improving.

Since my time at CDME, I have used the skills I learned in the E3 Program in my coursework and to pursue new opportunities. In the summer of 2017, I worked for Niagara Bottling in California as a Technical Engineering intern. I also secured a Co-Op with Cargill in their Agricultural Supply Chain Plant. The experience I gained through the E3 Program has helped me to secure these positions in the industry and I hope to continue using the skills I gained throughout my career.